Five Years
by FrancesOsgood
Summary: Sarah had said she needed ALL of them, and she meant it.
1. Chapter 1

**Five Years**

Sarah hummed a little tune as she picked up the party debris from the floor of her bedroom. She wasn't quite sure where she'd heard the song, but it was catchy.

"_Something, something Underground_..."

She moved a large pillow from the floor beside her bed, bracing herself for what might lie beneath it: a fuzzy blue worm, a pile of rocks, or one of the Fire Gang's appendages. There was only a crushed conical party hat beneath the pillow and she gently straightened it before placing it on the head of one of her stuffed animals. Throwing the large pillow back on her bed, she flopped down on top of it and stared up at the ceiling.

To say it had been an interesting day would be the understatement of the year, but at that moment Sarah was in no mood or shape to dig out her thesaurus for a more appropriate descriptive. She smiled to herself. She, Sarah Williams, had lived a fantasy! She'd accepted a challenge, faced insurmountable odds and had triumphed!

"Not bad for an ordinary girl," she thought to herself. The echoed words dampened her happy thoughts a bit. An ordinary girl. _He_ had called her that. The thought of him made her feel uncomfortably squishy in her middle. She wondered what had happened to him. When all the creatures from her adventure had shown up for her bedroom celebration, she had expected him to come as well. After all, she had said she needed _all_ of them.

Sarah sighed and looked over at the Escher print on her wall, remembering her final confrontation with the Goblin King in the impossible room. He was no doubt thoroughly angry at her for beating him. He had been so panicked at the end when she had started reciting the words.

"To think he started spouting all that "fear me, love me mumbo jumbo," she laughed. "He must have been really desperate."

The unanswered question of why he had been so desperate still hung tauntingly low over her head and she tried to swat it away as if it were a pesky fly.

"He just obviously wanted to keep my brother," she told herself, though she couldn't imagine what a magical king would want with a babbling human baby.

Sarah turned her attention back to her ceiling, chewing her bottom lip as she thought about his words to her and his reaction to her final declaration to him.

_You have no power over me._

He had vanished like smoke, tossing the crystal high in the air before folding in on himself. The crystal had burst in her hand and she'd found herself at home with Toby snuggly asleep in his crib and no sign of the Goblin King.

A terrible thought occurred to Sarah that made her chest clench in dread. What if she had _killed_ him? What if her words had been to the Goblin King what Dorothy's bucket of water had been to the Wicked Witch of the West?

She sat up straight in her bed. She had only meant to defeat him, not to destroy him! Why was the Universe suddenly taking her words so seriously?

"It's not fa-" she began, but quickly clamped her hands over her mouth. She was being melodramatic again and that had a way of getting her into trouble.

There was a very simple solution for finding out the truth and she was going to be mature and calm about it. Swinging her legs over the side of her bed, she walked to her vanity and sat down, staring hard into her mirror.

"Goblin King," she spoke to the mirror, trying very hard to keep her voice from shaking.

There was no reply. She turned to look behind her, hoping to see that he'd materialize the way Hoggle and the others had done, but her bedroom was empty.

"Goblin King," she called again with no answer. She tapped her fingers on the vanity trying to think. "Maybe I'm not calling him right." Straightening her back, Sarah sat upright in her chair and called out to the mirror. "I would like to speak to His Majesty the King of the Goblins."

Nothing.

"Maybe is he _is _dead," she thought sadly. "Or he could just be really pissed and he's screening his calls."

Sarah sat back and slumped down in her chair, her eye catching the gold leaf lettering glinting from the red book on the vanity. She wanted to know that she hadn't really hurt him, physically or otherwise. It had just been a game after all, hadn't it? There hadn't been any real danger, had there?

She let out a sigh and closed her eyes. "I just want to know you're okay and you're not mad," she whispered.

It was a childish thing, she knew, to wish that the Goblin King wasn't angry at her. After all, she'd been on the receiving end of most of the mischief that happened during her stay in the Underground. Still, after what had nearly happened to Toby, she didn't want her words to be responsible for hurting anyone else, even the smirking, devious, tight-panted king of the goblins.

Sarah got up from her seat at the vanity and returned to her bed. Plopping down listlessly, she grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her chest.

"Just tell me you're not dead," she spoke quietly to the ceiling. Hoggle had told her the Goblin King's name. What was it? She closed her eyes tight in thought and it came to her in a shimmer of glitter.

"Jareth," she said aloud.

"You think very highly of yourself if you think you can kill a Fae with your stolen words, little girl," a smooth voice purred from the foot of her bed.

Sarah cracked one eye open and glanced in the direction of the voice where the Goblin King stood, hair, glitter, tight pants and all, calmly smiling at her.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Short answer: not dead. I, like the Goblin King, am very much alive, just incredibly busy. I've been lurking lately and have seen some real stellar stuff come through the FF archive (I'm looking at you, Ellen Weaver, TheRealEatsShootsAndLeaves, and ShadowLurker13!) I've been inspired to write more Labyfic 'cause it's like an addiction. I gotta fever, and the only prescription is more Labyfic! So, here ya go. This one is an exercise of sorts, so I'm not really sure how or where or how long it'll go. Give me love in the form of feedback so I don't get all twitchy please, will ya, Man?**

**Fanny**


	2. Chapter 2

Sarah sat up, blinking at the figure poised dramatically at the foot of her bed.

"You... you're not dead," she stammered.

"No, I'm not," the Goblin King stated matter-of-factly. "May I go now?"

He grimaced at her and pulled at the wrist of one of his dark gloves. Sarah continued to stare at him, carefully looking over his flowing shirt of cream silk, embroidered burgundy waistcoat and dark gray breeches. She couldn't see his boots from where she sat on her bed.

"Are you quite finished gawking at me?" asked Jareth, putting his hands on his hips.

His question snapped Sarah back to reality and she gazed up at his face with a start. "Oh, um... sure," she said, feeling more than stupid for having summoned him. She had just wanted to be certain she hadn't truly harmed him.

"Well?" the Goblin King said, impatiently tapping the toe of one boot on the floor.

"Well what?" asked Sarah.

"May I go?" Jareth answered in a tone that sounded almost like a whine.

"I guess..."

"You guess?" he retorted. "Heavens, why did I ever waste my energy on such a ridiculous girl?" He gave a sarcastic bow and glanced up at her. "Good evening then, _Your Majesty_."

Sarah watched as he walked to her window and pushed the curtains aside.

"Jareth, wait," she called out to him. He turned slowly, and she fought the urge to cower.

"What is it?" he bristled, "I'm rather busy with my city in ruins and all."

Sarah lowered her eyes and fidgeted with the floral coverlet on her bed. "You... you didn't come to the party," she said at last.

Jareth stared at her with his mouth agape for what seemed like forever before answering.

"You thought I was going to come to your little victory celebration?"

"Yes," Sarah answered. "Everyone else was there. I just thought..."

"What part of 'starved and exhausted' did you not get?" spat the Goblin King. "You ran me all over my kingdom, tore through my castle leaving utter destruction in your wake and you expected me to come throw confetti at your little party?"

He glared down hard at the green-eyed girl, trying to read her expression, but it only left him more confused. She was still a bit innocently ignorant and it defied his understanding. He could always read deception in a face. Betrayal, malice, lust, they all read like storybooks to him. Innocence was a different thing altogether. He didn't understand the way she sat on her little girl's bed surrounded by toys and stuffed animals, looking up at him with those eyes and wondering why he hadn't shown up to celebrate her hard-fought victory, as if she'd honestly expected him to.

Jareth gasped and jerked backward. She had! She had thought he would come and dance and cavort with the rest of that unseemly traitorous lot! His expression softened a bit and he owlishly tilted his head to one side.

"Did you seriously want me to come?" he asked.

"I don't know," Sarah said quietly. "I was little worried. I thought maybe I had..." She paused, unable to say what she had really thought. "I wasn't sure what had happened to you and I hoped you weren't angry," she gushed on.

Jareth shook his head, disbelieving what he was hearing. "Just why should you be so concerned about me, Sarah Williams?" he asked with a chuckle.

Sarah shrugged and looked away. "I didn't want to take anything for granted," she answered.

A little smile played over the Goblin Kings lips and he took a large step toward her. "Could it be," he began, "that you learned something in the piece of cake that is my labyrinth?"

Sarah didn't answer. Of course she had learned something. Many things, like the fact that fairies aren't nice, but rocks can be friends. And things aren't always what they seem especially when it comes to peaches. But most of all she'd learned not to take things for granted: friends, family, words...

She glanced back up at the Goblin King who had been staring at her as she'd gone through her inner dialogue. He quirked an arched eyebrow at her and smiled.

"My kind doesn't take defeat lightly," he told her with a glint in his strange eyes. "But I'll get over it."

Sarah tried to smile, but the way he loomed over her like a dark shadow made her uneasy. She backed away slightly and cleared her throat.

"I'm not angry either," she told him. He looked at her strangely and she continued. "About you snatching my brother. After all, I asked you to."

"Yes," Jareth coaxed, giving her a sideways glance.

"I'm not really angry about the Cleaners either. I guess I had that coming," Sarah said with a wince. "I am curious about the peach though."

Jareth laughed out loud. "Get used to disappointment, little girl," he told her with a sly grin.

Sarah shrugged and was silent as the Goblin King looked around her room, glancing over her carefully arranged shelves of books and toys and trinkets. He stepped toward the Escher print on her wall and studied it closely.

"Hmmm," he said, turning to Sarah. "Looks like someone stole my idea."

Sarah could see from the twinkle in his eye that he was joking, but she couldn't bring herself to laugh at him. It was strange enough that he was standing in her bedroom, poking though her belongings.

"You've got one missing," Jareth said, pointing up to Lancelot's empty space on the wall.

"I gave that one to Toby," Sarah told him. "He likes him so much and I'm really too old for teddy bears now..." She trailed off as Jareth turned and met her gaze, ice blue to her verdant green.

Jareth smiled slightly and stepped around the corner of her bed.

"May I see your brother?" he asked. "He's really a charming little fellow. I'd like to visit him from time to time."

"No way," replied Sarah, a bit more forcefully that she'd intended. Her face flushed deep red as the Goblin King stared down at her. "I mean," she continued, "it's probably not the best idea. He's still very impressionable." The phrase had sounded very grown-up in her head, but coming out of her mouth it just sounded silly. The Goblin King didn't argue though. He merely nodded and gazed at her wide-eyed.

"What about you then, Sarah?" he questioned.

"What about me?" she asked, making a face.

"May I visit you from time to time?"

Sarah found herself unable to answer. The Goblin King was asking for her permission to visit? Why on earth would he be interested in visiting her?

Almost as if he had read her mind, Jareth spoke.

"You amuse me," he told Sarah.

"Oh, well thanks," Sarah replied sarcastically. "Glad I'm so entertaining."

She rolled her eyes and looked at the Goblin King who was still awaiting an answer.

"Fine," she told him. "But there will be some rules."

Jareth nodded and she laid out her guidelines to him.

"First," she said, holding up her index finger. "You have to ask for admittance to my room. If I say it's okay, you may enter, but not before. I don't want you popping in while I'm changing clothes or something."

"I will agree to that," said the Goblin King with a wolfish grin, "although I rather like the element of surprise."

Sarah frowned and continued. "Second, you can't try to trick me into giving you my brother or going back with you or anything like that."

Jareth drew himself up to his full height and stared at her quizzically. "Utter nonsense," he spat. "In the first place, I can't trick you since you enacted that little 'no power over me' deal, and even if I could why would I want you or your brother back in my labyrinth? The two of you are nothing but trouble!"

"Okay, okay!" Sarah retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "I just wanted to make that clear. Geez, if I'm so much trouble, why do you insist on coming to see me again?"

Jareth grunted and took a seat at the end of Sarah's bed. "I've already told you," he replied. "You amuse me. And as long as you're safe in your own territory and not wreaking havoc on mine I have no complaints."

Silence fell over the room again as Jareth glowered and Sarah thought back to her frenzied flight through the Goblin City. She and her friends had caused quite a bit of damage. No wonder the Goblin King was so pissed.

"Are the uh... goblins okay?" Sarah asked shyly after a few moments.

Jareth shook his head and Sarah thought she saw a tiny smile quivering in the corner of his mouth.

"They're fine," he answered. "In fact, that's the most fun they've had in quite some time."

"Really?"

"The goblins seem to relish abuse. The ones that got tossed into the air like bowling pins are being hailed as local heroes."

"Wow. Okay. Good," mumbled Sarah. She was relieved that she hadn't injured anyone, but still confused at the thought of any creature enjoying being shot from a cannon.

She looked up and saw that Jareth was staring at her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I accept the terms of your agreement," he told her. "I'll visit, with permission from you of course, and I won't try to trick you into giving me your brother or coming back with me."

"Fine. It's a deal then" Sarah said, extending her hand to him.

"Oh no," he said slyly. "This is no deal for a handshake. You deal with a Fae, you seal with a kiss."

Sarah swallowed hard as Jareth leaned forward. She closed her eyes and waited for the feel of his lips on hers, but it never came. Instead he placed a delicate kiss on her brow and then sat back and smiled.

"Your turn," he told her.

"Huh?" she asked.

He pointed to his forehead and she finally understood. She took a deep breath and leaned toward him and touched her lips to his brow. His skin was cool, but not clammy and he smelled of earth and mist and magic. Sarah sat back, blushing, and Jareth's smile widened.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked, amused at her obvious discomfort.

"No," Sarah shot back, trying to sound unaffected. For the second time that night she was a bit perturbed at herself for feeling disappointed over the fact that Jareth hadn't given her a proper kiss.

Jareth stood and walked to the window, his cloak swirling dramatically behind him.

"You're leaving?" Sarah questioned as he crouched down on the window seat.

He turned and looked back at her. "Yes," he answered simply. "I have quite the mess to clean up: goblins stuck in cannons, chickens running amok, broken bridges and robot guards..." He winked and right before Sarah's eyes he shrank, his regal form compressing into the form of plain barn owl.

"See you later, Sarah," his voice seemed to echo from all around the room.

Jumping up from her spot on the bed, Sarah opened the window and allowed the owl to fly out into the night. He disappeared into the inky darkness and Sarah walked back to her bed and sank down onto it. Her forehead still tingled from his kiss and she rubbed at it with her thumb.

"I hope I haven't done something I'll come to regret," she sighed to the empty room.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the delay with Chapter 2, folks. Real-life money-making writing got in the way of fanfic (which is way more fun, but doesn't pay the bills) and this one sat in my Word docs for quite a spell. I'll try to do better from here on out, but no promises. **

**So... a bargain has been struck and perhaps Sarah's impulsive words will get her into trouble again. Stay tuned to find out! *cue funky theme song***

**True story bro: I am in a play of _Rumpelstiltskin_ with my local theatre group. The guy playing Rumpelstiltskin was doing this weird voice for the character and I kept thinking, "Whose voice is that? It sounds so familiar!" Turns out he was doing Hoggle's voice for Rumpelstiltskin! I had a good lol at that. **


	3. Chapter 3

Sarah couldn't help but do a little dance as she entered her bedroom with her arms loaded down with gift bags and boxes. She placed her haul on her bed and carefully sorted through the gifts she'd received: a book from her grandmother Williams, a gorgeous sweater that she'd been eyeing for weeks from her best friend Jennifer, other assorted clothing items from other assorted friends and a charm bracelet from Karen. Her father had given her a little engraved owl keychain because he knew she loved owls. As nice a thought as it was, Sarah had been a bit disappointed by her father's gift until he handed her a set of keys to put on it.

"Look out the window," he'd said with a smile.

Sarah had done so and let out a gleeful shriek at what she saw. There in the driveway sat a little red hatchback. It clearly wasn't new, but Sarah didn't care. She'd thrown her arms around her father's neck as her friends clapped and cheered.

Sarah jangled her new car keys and smiled to herself. She was fully mobile at last! She could hardly wait to show Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo. They had promised to come see her after her party and even hinted at bringing her presents.

Sarah turned toward the closet to begin hanging up her new clothes, but stopped in her tracks when she heard something tapping at her window. She was briefly reminded of the gothic poem she had recently studied in school and shuddered. The tapping came again and Sarah smiled, realizing what and who was outside her bedroom window. She unlatched the window and opened it and the soft white owl flew out of the dark night and into her cheery bedroom. Sarah watched it do a circle around the room before landing gracefully on her vanity chair.

"Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!" Sarah told the owl with a smile and a dramatic flourish.

The owl shimmered and shapeshifted from its feathery form and into the black leather-clad figure of the Goblin King.

"Nevermore," he replied with a half-smile.

"Nicely done, Goblin King," Sarah said, genuinely impressed.

"What?" Jareth haughtily answered. "You don't think I read?" He stalked over to her bed and looked over the pile of presents she'd left stacked on top of it.

"What is all this?" he asked, picking through wrinkled sheets of colorful tissue paper.

"Those are my presents," Sarah told him, watching as he rifled through the wrappings and studied the books and clothes she had received. "Today's my sixteenth birthday."

Jareth turned and raised an elegant eyebrow at her. "Your birthday, eh?" he asked with a chuckle. "No wonder those imbeciles asked for the night off." He tossed the book he'd been perusing onto the bed and shook his head.

Sarah marched forward and glared up at him.

"Don't talk about my friends that way," she angrily demanded, her eyes flashing.

Jareth stepped backward without thinking and didn't miss her pleased grin at his retreat. Drawing himself up to his full height, he produced a crystal from thin air with a wave of his hand and rolled it around in his gloved palm.

"Very well," he said nonchalantly. "You should be grateful though, Sarah. I very generously gave that treacherous lot the evening free even though it was most inconvenient. While the four of you eat cake and play Pin the Tale on the Dragon, my hedges will go untrimmed and the bog will be left unguarded."

Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and fought the urge to tell him to chain a boulder to his ankles and take a headlong dive into the bog. She was not going to let him rile her today. Taking a deep breath, she addressed him calmly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," she said sweetly. "I won't keep them long, I promise."

Jareth stared at her, obviously taken aback by her refusal to argue. Sarah stared back at him and her eyes dared him to push her further.

"There it is," he thought with an inward smirk. "Playing the shrew, are we?"

Jareth silently paced the room for a moment, taking note of the changes that had been made since his last visit. The wall of stuffed animals was gone, replaced with large bookcases, some colorful posters and an impressive stereo system. The other toys were missing as well. In place of the puzzles and games and dolls, there were magazines, cassette tapes and makeup. He carefully surveyed the bookcases and was pleased and relieved to see a familiar red leather-bound book in a place of easy reach on one of the shelves.

He turned back to Sarah who was pretending not to watch him.

"Just what inspires such loyalty from that motley crew of yours?" he asked, narrowing his strange eyes at her.

Sarah shrugged. "I don't know," she answered. "I was nice to them."

"Hmph!" grunted the Goblin King. "I'd rather be feared than loved."

"That's funny," thought Sarah. "I could have sworn it was both."

She tried to hide her smile behind her hand, but the ever-observant Goblin King noticed and grimaced.

"What is so amusing?" he asked, cocking his head to one side.

Sarah was spared from answering when a gruff voice called out from the mirror behind her.

"Sarah? We're here!"

Sarah and Jareth both turned to see Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo emerging from the vanity mirror. The glass rippled and warped as they pushed though, chattering excitedly. Their chatter ceased suddenly as they realized Sarah was not alone.

"What's _he_ doing here?" Hoggle asked grumpily, crossing his stubby little arms over his chest and glaring at the Goblin King.

"Your Majesty!" cried Sir Didymus, sweeping into a low bow. "I didn't know you had been invited to fair Sarah's birthday celebration."

"I don't need an invitation, you miserable little-" Jareth spat, but Sarah jumped in, lightly laying a hand on his arm.

"His Majesty and I have an agreement," Sarah told her three friends. "He may visit with my permission."

She looked at Jareth who tried not to outwardly show his gratitude. Instead he looked at Hoggle and sneered.

"Hmph!" Hoggle grunted. "I don't trust 'im, Sarah." He eyed Jareth warily.

"That's fine, Hoggle," Sarah told him. "You don't have to, but he has my permission to stay here and may do so if he wishes."

She glanced eagerly up at the Goblin King, waiting for his response. Her bright-eyed expectant gaze nearly made him plop right down and make himself at home. However, he didn't miss the uncomfortable shifting of the other three. They were obviously less than thrilled at his being there. Jareth swished his dark cloak around him and moved toward the window.

"Actually," he began. "I have quite a lot of business to attend to this evening. I'll be going."

Sarah's face noticeably drooped at his announcement, while the faces of the dwarf, knight and rock caller brightened considerably.

"Oh, okay," Sarah mumbled. She wanted to say more, but her friends were already pulling at her, showing her the packages they had brought for her.

Jareth watched them for a moment before stepping onto the window seat to fly back home. He paused as Hoggle's voice broke through the chatter.

"I'll bet that rat didn't even bring ya a birthday present."

Jareth shook off the dwarf's comment and puffed his chest out. He stepped off the window seat and out the window, transforming as he fell. Just inches from the ground, his wings caught the wind and he swooped upward and into the sky, a black shadow against the full moon. He flew home to the labyrinth without stopping.

The party continued in Sarah's room for several hours. She and her three friends enjoyed cake and some dancing followed by several rounds of Scrabble. The trio gave her their gifts before returning home through the vanity mirror.

From Sir Didymus, Sarah received an illuminated book about King Arthur. Ludo gave Sarah a polished round rock that shone iridescent when wet. Hoggle gave Sarah a potted pink Fairy Flower.

"It's fertilized with fairy poop," he told her proudly.

Sarah thanked them all over and over and bid them goodnight as they scurried through the mirror and back to their homes in the Underground.

Exhausted from a night of partying, Sarah pushed her stack of presents aside and fell onto her pillow and was quickly asleep. She awoke the next morning amidst crumpled tissue paper and squished gift boxes. Yawning, she gathered up the mess to sort it and put it away when a glimmer from under one of her birthday cards caught her eye. Lifting the card, Sarah saw a jeweled pendant lying on the bed. It was encrusted with what looked like rhinestones and black pearls in a cross pattern. It was pretty, if a bit gaudy. Her mother must have sent it. Sarah picked up the pendant and studied it, noting that for costume jewelry it was rather heavy.

"It looks familiar," she said out loud. She knew she had seen it before, but couldn't remember where. Perhaps in her mother's jewelry box. It would be like her mother to pull out some forgotten piece of junk jewelry to send to her for her birthday. Still, there was something about it...

Sarah wasn't sure why, but she wrapped the pendant in some of her leftover tissue paper and gingerly placed it in a little birch box with an owl carved on the top. She didn't see another owl, watching quietly from the tree just outside her window.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thanks for all the nice reviews and comments! I know this is cheesy and fluffy and whatever, but after the angst-fest of "Seven" I just wanted to write some good ol' cheez-flavoured candy floss. Soo... here it is.**

**About Sarah's car: I love 80s hatchback vehicles. My parents had one when I was a kid and I always rode in the back. (This was back in the good old days before seatbelt laws, kiddies.) Yes, I am old.**

**About the gifts: What else would they give her?**

**About the pendant: Yes, it's _that_ pendant, and it took me a bloody long time to find a picture big enough to use to describe it. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Five Years 4**

Sarah almost didn't hear the tapping at the window over the squealing of her four silly friends. The group was camped out in her bedroom oohing and aahing over the latest issue of _Teen Beat_ magazine.

"Look at Tom Cruise! He's so fine!" gushed Jennifer.

"I know," chimed in Stephanie. "He's such a talented actor, too!"

The two girls dramatically sighed and Sarah rolled her eyes. She didn't really see where Tom Cruise was that talented or good looking, but she didn't let on to her friends.

A soft rapping sound came from the window and Sarah looked up to see the familiar white owl perched in the tree outside. She glanced at her friends who were sprawled on the floor, engrossed in the magazine, and then back at the window where the Goblin King waited. She knew she couldn't let her friends see him, but she also knew that he was not going to just sit there and watch much longer. Scrambling up from the carpet, Sarah addressed her giggling girlfriends.

"Who wants sundaes?" she asked.

Her friends all squealed again at the same time and Sarah winced at the high-pitched sound.

"You guys go on down to the kitchen and I'll join you in a minute, ok?" Sarah told her friends as they abandoned their magazines and made a dash for the door.

She closed the door behind them and listened for a few moments as they made their way downstairs, chattering all the way. Sarah locked her bedroom door and then rushed to the window to let in the white owl. He flew in and landed lightly on her bed. Sarah watched in wonder as his creamy feathers melted into golden hair, a silver silk shirt and painted-on gray breeches.

"Good evening, Goblin King," Sarah said, giving him her best attempt at a curtsy.

He waved off her awkward try before folding his arms over his chest.

"Is it?" he asked sarcastically. He pulled at one of his dark gloves and glared at her. "While you've been drooling over those ridiculous _boys_," he paused and pointed toward the teen magazine, "I have been fielding accusations from those three pesky pals of yours."

"Accusations?" asked Sarah. "What do you mean?"

"Hedwig,"

"Hoggle"

"Whatever," grunted the Goblin King. "He seems to think that I've been keeping him and Sir Didymus and the walking throw rug from seeing you. Of course, I haven't, but he and the others are convinced. Now, why would they think something like that?"

Jareth raised an eyebrow at Sarah waited for an answer. Sarah swallowed and shrugged.

"I don't know," she said, not meeting his gaze. "Hoggle can be overly dramatic at times..."

"Perhaps," replied Jareth with a smug smile. "Or perhaps it's because you haven't called them in almost two weeks. Hmmm?" He leaned forward and cocked his head to the side as his accusation met its mark.

"I... I've been busy," Sarah mumbled. She turned away from the cold glare of the Goblin King and began to pace around her room. "Surely they understand," she continued. "I have other friends that I like to hang out with. Girls my own age that I can talk to and laugh with and tell secrets to."

"Yes," Jareth said, nodding. "I suppose you've told that group of silly things downstairs all about your little adventure in my labyrinth."

"Well, no..."

"No?"

"You know I can't tell them about that."

"No, I suppose not," replied Jareth. "You hide quite a bit from them then, don't you?"

"What are you getting at, Your Majesty?" Sarah asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Jareth smiled. She only used that title when she was angry. He had definitely hit a nerve.

"Nothing," he told her. "I just think it's a pity that you've chosen the company of shallow girls with whom you have so little in common over the company of those who seem to genuinely value the true you. A group that has sworn loyalty to you above their own king."

Sarah started to argue, but found herself unable to make a valid point against him. She knew he was right. She had been purposely avoiding her Underground friends, but she knew Jareth couldn't possibly understand what an undertaking it was to have secret friends from a magical world. She felt at times like an undercover superhero, trying to keep her super identity secret. It was a lot to ask of a sixteen year old girl.

"Why are you so concerned anyway?" she asked Jareth. "You have no love for Hoggle, or for _anyone_ for that matter."

Sarah's words took him by surprise and he had to bite his tongue to keep from saying too much.

"I don't appreciate being falsely accused," he answered finally. "Your friends think I am responsible for them not being called to you. I think you owe them an explanation and me an apology."

Sarah plopped down in her vanity chair, sulking a bit though she knew what the Goblin King said was true. Her three friends from the labyrinth were the truest friends she had ever had. With them, there had never been a need for her to pretend to be anything more or less than what she was. They loved and respected her as a champion and she'd carelessly brushed them aside in favor of the silly twits she'd taken as her friends. (Okay, so maybe Jennifer wasn't so bad, but the rest of them were ridiculous.)

"I'm sorry, Jareth," Sarah told the Goblin King softly. "I'll apologize to the others as well. I know I've behaved badly."

Jareth stared for a moment at the dark-haired girl. No, not girl, he thought. She was definitely becoming a young woman. She still had moments of selfishness and indulgent theatrics, but she was quick to admit her wrongs and offer apologies.

"Thank you, Sarah," Jareth told her. "I would appreciate it if you would explain the situation to that moronic bunch as soon as possible. I can't get a moment's peace without tripping over the knight or being assaulted by the dwarf or having pebbles pinging off my armor from the rock caller."

"And you haven't tossed them in the bog?" Sarah asked incredulously.

Jareth shook his head and gave her a devilish grin. "No," he replied. "However, once they hear the truth from you they'll be falling over themselves to apologize to me and walking on eggshells in fear of what I'll do to them. That will be delightful to watch." He chuckled wickedly and Sarah couldn't help but smile.

"You really are terrible, you know that?" she told him.

"Yes, and don't forget it," the Goblin King answered, pointing a gloved finger at her.

Sarah started to say something else, but a knock at her bedroom door interrupted her.

"Sarah?" called the muffle voice of one of her friends. "Aren't you coming down? What are you doing in there?"

"I...um...I'm cleaning up a bit," Sarah called back. She looked pitifully at Jareth. "What am I going to do with _them_?" she asked, motioning toward the door.

Jareth shrugged as he stood and walked toward the window.

"You'll have to figure that out on your own, Sarah," he replied smugly. "Unless you want me to dump them in the bog."

"No thank you," Sarah answered. "I'll make do for tonight and then just maybe drift away from them. Except for Jennifer. She's kind of cool."

"Very well," Jareth said with a wink. "Of course, if you change your mind I believe I have an oubliette that's currently empty."

"Jareth..."

"I'm going. Don't make yourself sick on too much junk food."

"Sarah? Who are you talking to?" asked the voice on the other side of the door.

"I'm talking to myself, Stephanie. I'll be right down!" Sarah answered.

"Goodnight, Sarah," Jareth said before dropping out of sight out the window. Sarah watched him soar upward into the dark sky, the moonlight shining on his snowy wings.

"Goodnight, Jareth," she whispered to the night.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Woot! We're having a party 'cause this week marks my first Labyversary! I posted my first Labyfic a year ago. Come on in, make yourselves at home. Ellen Weaver brought the glittery pants cake. Leave presents in the box marked "Comments." Choke down as much fluff as you dare without hurling. If you don't get enough here, go nibble on "Bits and Pieces" by Whyndancer. It's delicious! Thanks, err'body! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

The window was slightly ajar when the owl lit on the sill. Looking through the misty panes, he could see Sarah stretched out on her bed, her dark hair spread all around her, her face buried into her oversized pillow. Her shoulders were shaking and shuddering and his keen owl hearing picked up her muffled moans. Something was very wrong.

The owl shifted his weight on the window sill as he watched the sobbing girl. The scene made him uncomfortable. Sure, he'd seen her cry before. She'd cried the first time they had met, but that was different. Those tears were his. He'd given them to her and had relished seeing them leaking from her bright eyes and streaking down her pale face. The tears she shed now were from someone else, _for_ someone else. As much as the thought bothered him, it wasn't really his area of expertise. Turning carefully on the narrow window sill, he prepared to fly back home.

Unfortunately, his normally graceful owl form had been unnerved enough by the crying mortal girl that he lost his footing on the slippery window ledge and ended up throwing himself against the glass to keep from falling. The window swung open further, tossing him onto the carpeted floor of Sarah's bedroom. Hearing the thud, Sarah sat up and looked down at the pile of feathers in the floor at the end of her bed.

"J-Jareth?" she sniffled.

The heap of mottled feathers quivered and shifted and grew into the slightly rumpled, but still regal form of the Goblin King.

"Hello, Sarah," he answered nonchalantly as he brushed the dust and creases from his shirt and vest.

"Hi," Sarah answered hoarsely.

Jareth glanced down at her and frowned. Her eyes were red and puffy and her face was blotchy and tear-streaked. She was a pitiful mess.

"What's the matter with you?' Jareth asked a bit too gruffly. He winced a bit when he saw Sarah's bottom lip begin to tremble. She lifted a closed hand to him in answer to his question, raising it to eyelevel before opening it and revealing what lay in her palm. Jareth looked down at the object in her hand. It was a small metal tag suspended on a red leather strap. The tag was flat and shaped like a bone and had letters imprinted on it. Jareth squinted at the lettering (his normal vision was not nearly as good as his owl vision) and tried to read what was printed on the tag.

"Merlin," he read aloud and Sarah sniffled again.

He looked away from the tag and up at Sarah and saw fresh tears spilling from her eyes. She let out a choked sob before closing her fingers around the tag again and falling back on to her pillow.

Jareth shook his head. "I don't understand," he told Sarah.

"Merlin," she answered between sobs, "was my dog."

"Was?" asked Jareth.

"Yes," Sarah replied. "He was old and sick and... he died this morning."

"Oh."

"Oh? That's all you have to say?"

"What should I say, Sarah?" Jareth asked, putting his hands on his hips.

Sarah sat up and glared at him. "You could say you're sorry," she told him.

"Whatever for?" asked the Goblin King. "I didn't kill your dog."

Sarah slapped a hand against her forehead and for a moment almost looked as if she were trying hard not to laugh. "That is not what I meant," she said.

Jareth sighed. "You wish me to offer condolences."

"Yes," Sarah answered.

"For a dog."

"He was more than a dog, Jareth," replied Sarah. She slid off her bed and walked to her dressing table. She pulled a small photograph from the vanity mirror and showed it to the Goblin King. He looked at the picture of a beaming, pig-tailed Sarah holding the leash of a friendly-looking canine. "I had Merlin a long time and I loved him. He was family," Sarah told him. "Do you know what it's like to lose a family member?"

"I don't have a family in the same sense that you have one," Jareth explained as he crossed the room to study the Escher print on the wall. "Furthermore, I understand the concept of a finite existence, but in the same way that you understand immortality. We have knowledge of it, but we don't grasp it fully."

"You don't have a family?" Sarah asked, suddenly behind him. He started a bit at her unexpected closeness. "I didn't say that," he answered, drawing away. "I said I don't have a family in the same sense that you have one. There are beings that I consider my kinsmen, but we don't have family mealtimes or road trips or game nights or any of the other silly things mortal families like to take part in. There are no fae soccer teams or chili cook-offs."

Sarah couldn't help but giggle a bit at the thought of Jareth in a plaid apron stirring a pot of cowboy chili or waving a big foam finger in the stands at a play-off game. She looked up at him and noticed him mirroring her smile. She quickly dropped her grin and pursed her lips.

"I'm in mourning," she scolded. "You aren't supposed to make me laugh."

Jareth gave her a sideways glance. "I was under the impression that that is _exactly_ what one is supposed to do when a friend is upset."

Sarah crossed back over to her bed and sat down and was silent for several minutes. "Are we friends?" she asked finally.

"Aren't we?" questioned the Goblin King. He moved to take a seat beside her on her bed. "I'm sorry for your loss," he said softly.

"Thanks," Sarah answered. She looked up at him and he could see tears glistening in the corners of her eyes like diamonds. One slid down her smooth cheek and before he could stop himself, Jareth was reaching out to brush the small, wet jewel away. Sarah held her breath as his gloved hand neared her face, but just before he touched her there was a knock at the door and Jareth drew back.

"Sarah," called Robert Williams from outside her bedroom. "Are you ready for the ceremony?"

"Yeah, Dad," Sarah called back. "I'll be down in just a minute."

"Ceremony?" asked Jareth, standing and moving away from her.

"Yes," Sarah answered as she combed through her dark hair with her fingers. "We're burying Merlin in the backyard and we're giving him a memorial service. You can come if you like. In your owl form, of course."

Jareth had planned to refuse, but instead found himself saying "Thank you," and flying off to the large oak tree in Sarah's backyard. He perched in the top branches where he could observe but remain unseen and watched in wonder as the little family gathered and lowered a large box into a newly dug hole beneath the towering oak. After covering the hole over with dirt, they stood back and joined hands and Robert said a short prayer. The prayer was punctuated with sniffs and sobs and Jareth continued watching with growing envy. Even in their sorrow this little family had comfort in one another. Such a thing was beyond his emotional grasp. He had little use for human emotions like love and sympathy, yet he felt a slight pang in his chest at their absence.

Jareth looked down at Sarah, standing beneath the oak, her hand tightly clasped in the chubby hand of her little brother. She had certainly surprised him when she'd refused his offer and taken up the challenge of the labyrinth. Jareth had been almost certain that the selfish, whining girl would gladly take her dreams over her wailing half-brother, yet she had not. Was family that important? Sarah had referred to the dog as family, and from the stifled sobs coming from the grave site, it appeared to be true.

Fluffing his feathers and stretching his wings, Jareth stepped out on a long branch and launched himself into the sky. He looked down to see Sarah looking up at him and he decided it would be disrespectful to call down to her during such a solemn moment. He couldn't fully comprehend Death, but he knew enough to be respectful of the deceased. Even if the deceased were just a dog.

Winging home in the golden sunset, Jareth wondered if perhaps he should attempt to get in touch with some of his kinsmen. They had not gathered for quite some time and... he shook the thought away. Perhaps he would be better served just getting a dog.

* * *

**A:N**

**I know I just posted, but I was in a funky mood today and this just kinda popped out. Soooo... it's basically a word burp. Excuse me.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Five Years**

**Chapter 6**

Sarah stood in front of the full-length mirror on her bedroom closet door and did a quick turn. She had seen her mother do such a turn on numerous occasions such as premieres, parties and charity events. She would laugh and spin gracefully and ask, "How do I look?" The answer was always the same. Linda always looked beautiful.

Sarah's spin was unfortunately much less graceful than her mother's. Her high heel snagged on the carpet and she nearly toppled over. Regaining her balance and composure, Sarah tossed her newly coiffed hair back and stuck her jaw out defiantly to her reflection.

"Get it together, Williams," she scolded her mirrored image. "This is a big night."

It was more than a big night. It was a huge night. An epic night. Everything had to be perfect.

Sarah gave her reflection another once-over, checking that nothing was out of place or awkwardly situated. The bodice of her carefully chosen dress was pink sequined and strapless with huge satin puffs at the shoulders. The skirt was black tulle and came just above her knees, flaring out in all directions. The dress was dramatic and a bit fierce, both things that Sarah liked. Her satin shoes had been dyed hot pink to match her dress and she wore enormous black plastic hoops in her ears.

Sarah smiled at herself. Matt Corbin, MVP of the school basketball team and _her_ date for the evening was going to go nuts when he saw her.

A rhythmic tapping on her bedroom window drew Sarah away from her mirror and over to the large window near her bed. She walked to the window and opened it, allowing the snowy white barn owl to enter and fly in swooping circles around her ceiling fan before settling onto her bed and poofing into the lean, dark figure of the Goblin King.

"Good evening, Jareth," Sarah said brightly.

"Good evening, Sarah," replied the Goblin King. "I was on my way back from-" He paused mid-sentence and stared at her. "Sarah, what on Earth Above are you wearing?"

"Do you like it?" Sarah asked. She did a quick twirl and her tulle skirt flared out, revealing quite a bit more of her legs than she would have liked.

Jareth was silent for a moment, still taking in the unobstructed view of Sarah's pale, but shapely legs. Her legs were almost always encased in denim aside from the few times he'd caught her in her pajama shorts. The hot pink high heeled pumps she was wearing added to the effect, accentuating her tapered calves and drawing his attention to her scandalously bare ankles.

"What do you think?" asked Sarah, still waiting on his reaction.

Jareth frowned, much the same way her father had when she had modeled the dress for him.

"It's a bit revealing and gaudy, isn't it?" asked Jareth.

"Hmph," grunted Sarah. "This is coming from the guy in the criminally tight breeches and be-jeweled jacket."

She noticed that Jareth's eyes had moved from her legs to her chest and she crossed her arms defensively over her front. The bodice of the dress showed much more cleavage that she preferred, but it really couldn't be helped. She had blossomed—yes, that's the word Karen had used—in the last year, and while her waist was tiny and her hips were slender, her breasts had doubled in size, making her a bit top-heavy. It was a pain trying to find dresses that fit in the waist and hips while keeping "the girls" in check.

Jareth's eyes seemed transfixed by the milky flesh spilling over the top of her strapless dress and Sarah was beginning to wish she had an old lady shawl or Peruvian poncho to cover her irrepressible cleavage. If the almighty king of the goblins was unable to keep from ogling her, what were a bunch of high school guys going to do?

Sarah glared at the Goblin King and he turned his eyes away from her ample bosom and gave her a devilish grin.

"Is there a special occasion, or is this another princess costume?" Jareth asked.

"There is a special occasion," Sarah began, uncrossing her arms and adjusting the sweetheart neckline of her hot pink frock. "It's Prom night."

"Prom?" asked Jareth. He cocked his head sideways in a very owlish way and blinked at her.

"It's a dance," Sarah explained. "A ball."

Jareth smiled and clapped his hands together. "Ah, excellent!" he exclaimed. "I'm happy to know such things still exist amongst your strange lot. Humans have done away with so many grand customs: feast days, Bacchanals, Gladiator events..."

Sarah gave a half-hearted chuckle. "Obviously, you've never been to a Super Bowl party," she retorted.

"So," Jareth said, stretching out and reclining on Sarah's bed as if he owned it, "Tell me about this Prom. What is it like? What will you do?"

Sarah shoved his booted foot aside and sat down on the end of her bed. "Well," she told him. "First we'll go to dinner, then we'll go to the Prom and dance for a while and then we'll probably go to an after-party."

"We?" asked Jareth, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Sarah answered, blushing. "My friends and me..."

A knock at Sarah's bedroom door followed by the voice of Robert Williams interrupted the conversation.

"Sarah," called her father. "Matt is here."

"Okay, Dad," Sarah answered. "Tell him I'll be right down."

She turned back to Jareth who was now sitting up and frowning.

"Who, may I ask, is Matt?" he sharply questioned.

Sarah put her hands on her hips and responded just as sharply. "Matt, for your information, is my _date._"

Jareth's frown deepened. "You mean your _escort_?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess," sighed Sarah. "Look Jareth, you're going to have to go. My date is here and waiting."

Jareth swung his long legs over the side of her bed and stood and strode over to the window without even a backwards glance. He paused between the curtains and turned back to her. "Sarah," he called.

"What?" Sarah asked, becoming annoyed. She tapped the toe of one bright pink shoe impatiently on the floor.

"This party..." Jareth began somewhat sheepishly. "Is it chaperoned?"

"No, it's not, Dad," Sarah sarcastically replied.

Jareth gave her a hard look. "No need to get snippy, silly girl. I was only asking."

Sarah dropped her shoulders and sighed. "I'll be fine, Jareth," she said with a reluctant smile. "Matt is a nice guy and my curfew is midnight. I'm not a little girl anymore, but..." she lowered her eyes. "Thanks for being concerned."

"You do have a knack for getting into trouble, you know," Jareth told her. "Are you sure you don't want Sir Didymus to tag along?"

"Oh yes," answered Sarah, rolling her eyes. "That's what the Prom needs, a tiny fox/dog/knight picking fights with anyone who so much as looks at me."

"Great," Jareth said brightly. "I'll summon him."

He moved to pull a crystal from the air, but Sarah put her hand over his.

"I was being sarcastic, you-" Jareth's hand grasped hers, cutting her off mid-sentence.

He gazed deep into her eyes. "Be careful," he said softly.

"Y—yes. I will," Sarah stammered. After a moment, Jareth released her hand and she moved hastily toward her bedroom door. He watched her, her slender legs starkly white against her black skirt. The sequins of her dress shimmered as she walked and he had to admit that he had almost never seen her look lovelier. The only time she'd looked more beautiful was at his Dream Ball where she had appeared as a wide-eyed vision in white. He couldn't help but smile at the memory of the way she had stared at him, full of innocence and wonder. She was right about not being a little girl anymore. At 17, she was closer to woman than girl. Yet, Jareth knew she could still be a bit naive.

"Have fun, Sarah," he called to her before she disappeared out the bedroom door.

Sarah turned and gave him a little smile and then went down the stairs. Through the open door, Jareth could hear the oohs and ahs from Sarah's stepmother as she fussed and fixed and took pictures of Sarah and her date.

With a keen smirk, Jareth stepped out onto the window ledge and launched himself into the night, changing form mid-flight. On swift wings he flew home and called out to the goblins that were lounging about the throne room. His bargain with Sarah barred him from interfering with her outside her bedroom, but there was nothing in the agreement that said that someone _else_ couldn't.

"Where's Squibble?" the king bellowed.

The crowd of goblins parted and several pairs of grimy hands pointed to one big-eared goblin in their midst.

"Der he is!" cried a goblin wearing a broken teapot as a hat.

The king of the goblins bent down to the little creature and smiled.

"Squibble," he began. "How would you like a chance to make up for using my best pants as a parachute? If you're successful on this mission, I'll give you your tail back."

The little goblin began to bounce up and down excitedly. "Yes yes!" he cried. "I do! I do!"

"Excellent," Jareth said as he settled onto his curved throne. "I'll tell you what you need to do."

**The next morning...**

The door of the throne room burst open and the little goblin stumbled in. He teetered back and forth as he made his way to his sovereign's boots.

"I's back!" he called proudly to the king.

Jareth leaned down studied the small goblin. His eyes were glassed over and he smelled even worse than usual. Jareth wrinkled his nose at the peculiar scent of cheap alcohol and fruit-flavored drink mix.

"How did it go, Squibble?" he asked.

The goblin beamed. "I did good," he answered, swaying like a hula dancer with vertigo. "Just like kingy says. I make sure pretty bossy lady doesn't drink the booze."

Jareth smiled, pleased. "Good job, Squibble. How did you manage to make sure Sarah didn't drink?"

"Easy peasy," replied Squibble. "I drinked all da alky-hol up! None left!" He puffed out his little chest, but lost his balance and fell forward.

Jareth was just about to congratulate his little subject on a job well done when the creature belched and then hurled purple vomit all over his right boot.

"Sorry kingy," squeaked the goblin, trying to clean up Jareth's boot with the soiled sleeve of his shirt.

Jareth rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Better you than Sarah, I suppose," he groaned.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I know, I know... I've been gone for like, forever. I'm back and I truly apologize for not being better about updates. I got... um, distracted. **

**Anyway, I am up and running again and I hope to remain so for a while. **

**For those who may be wondering, Squibble is just fine. His Nibs was fairly easy on him seeing as his efforts were quite valiant for a goblin. Besides it gave the king the perfect excuse to get new boots. **

**Sarah had a lovely time at Prom, though she and her friends were rather put out by the strange incident involving a wild animal breaking in and drinking all the beer and wine coolers the upper-classmen had illegally purchased.**

**Unfortunately, Matt and Sarah didn't work out. He stopped calling soon after Prom, having been warned (in what he hoped and prayed was a dream) about bad things happening if he continued to date Sarah Williams.**

**I think that's it. Is that all? ... Jareth says that's all. Okie dokie then. **


End file.
